Contact apparatus



1v 624 793 April 12 1927' M. D. MANN, JR., ET AL 9 CONTACT APPARATUS Filled July 16. 1924- ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12,1927.

UNITED STATES 1,624,193 PATENT OFFICE..

MATTHEW D. MANN, JR., OF ROSELLE, AND HORACE M. AWIR; F NEWARK, NEW

JERSEY.

CONTACT APPARATUS.

Application inea July 16, 1sa4. serial No. 726,251.

Our invention relates to apparatus intended primarily for causing a gas or vapor to contact with a liquid and in particular to a form of apparatus which may be used in small columns or towers, such for ex-' ample as the column which forms part of a rectifying still. I

In the accompanying drawings. we show two sections of such a column, the upper lo part being illustrated in section and the lower part having a portion broken away.

In this view the bell in -the upper half isl shown as asselnbled at .right angles to the bell in the lower half.

Referring to the illustrative example shown, the numeral 2 is used to designate sections yof pipe which are connected together by couplings 3 and thereby .make upa substantially continuous tube. I e- 'tween each section of pipe 2 is inserted a plate 4 which is held tightly in place when the couplings 3 are screwed up. Attached to the plate 4, as by welding, is a bubble bell 5 which has a series of small apertures 6 adjacent the plate 4 and has a downwardly extending tube 7 in the center, which tube is open both at the top and bottom. rhe plate 4 is provided with a large central opening whlch receives a tube 8 considerably larger in diameter than the tube 7 but slightly smaller than the interior diameter of the bell 5. The tube 8 is attached to the plate 4 in any desired manner.

' Screwed into the bottom of the tube 8 is a plate 9 having on its bottom a drip ring Ior groove 10. The tube 8'is provided with two openings or windows 11, and the bottom part of this tube serves as a cup into which tube 7 extends.

It is to be noted that the parts are so proportioned that a space is leftbetween the bottom of one plate 9 and the top of the next lower bell 5; and that the tube S goes above the plate 4 until it approaches relatively close to the top of bell 5.

.\s is usual with such apparatus, it is intended that the liquid shall pass downward. whereas the gas or vapor to be contacted with the liquid is to pass upward. f

'hen liquid is introduced at the top of the apparatus, it will fall on a plate. 4 and the level will rise until the apertures 6 are covered. If at the same time the gas or vapor is rising in the apparatus under even slight. pressure, this vapor will prevent the liquid from flowing through the apertures (3 and into the space between the upper part.

of tube 8y and the sides of bell The liquid level will then continue to rise until it overflows the top .of bell 5 and flows down through tube 7. The lower` part of tube H will then till up wit-h liquid until the liquid reaches the bottom of windows l1. 4when it will flow out around the outside of tube 8 and strike plate 9 and fall against the outer portion of the next lower plate 4. The upwardly rising gas cannot pass up through tube 7 as a liquid seal is provided against this passage, but will enter windows ll and pass over theftop of tube 8, ldown under bell 5 and emerge through apertures 6 in the form ot' bubbles which will keep the liquid which surrounds bell 5 in a state of agitation so that close contact between the liquid and the vaponis obtained.

In an apparatus of this kind the effectiveness depends largely upon' the area available for the openings 6 (in other words, upon the outs-.de.circumference of the bell 5), and by the arrangement here shown the` bell 5 can be lnade of a diameter` closely approximating the inside diameter ofthe pipe sections 2. For example, we have found that an apparatus can be-made which will work with great success for laboratory purposes where the pipe sections 2 have an outside diameter of 21/4 inches and the bell 5 has an outside diameter of 1% inches, with the other parts arranged in the proportions shown in the drawings.

It is to be understood that the details and the manner of assembly of the device may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of our invention and that the. example shown in the drawings and which we have described in detailis intended by way of illustration only. In the annexed claimsit is to be understood that the term vapors is intended' to include both gases and vapors and that the word central as applied to the location of the passage for the downward flow of liquid is not intended to limit such location to one where such passage and the bell are necessarily concentric.

What we claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character dcscribcd the combination of a tube, plates in the tube and bubble bell assemblies attached to said plates, cach such assembly comprising a bubble bell having a series of openings around its periphery and a passage for the downward flow of liquid through its center, a cup into which such passage leads to provide a liquid seal and a passage for the upward flow of a vapor or the like between said liquid passage and the outer wall of the buh-ble bell.

2. ln an apparatus ot the character described` the combination ot a tube, plates in the tube, holes in the plates, walls surrounding the peripheries of said holes, bells covering all ots-aid walls on said plates, with openings between the tops of the walls and the underside of the bells, openings around the peripheries of the bells, pipes of an external diameter snialler than said holes leading through the center of the bells and opening through the tops thereof, and nieans for providingr a. liquid seal for the lower ends of said pipes whereby when a gas or vapor is forced under pressure in at the bottom ot the tube and a liquid is allowed to How in at the top, the liquid on each plate will be maintained at a uniforinlei'el substantially equal to the level of the top of a bell, and liquid in order to llow from one plate to a lower plate must pass through the ring of bubbles escaping from the periphery of' a bell and thence over the top of a bell and down said central pipe, and gas or vapor must rise through liquid tiowing towards such bell.. l

3. ln an apparatus of the character described, a tube, a series of plates', an opening in one of said plates, a bell covering said peripheries openingr having apertures for the emission of vapor or gas around its periphery, a down pipe through said bell opening through the top of the bell and extending below said plate, nieans for forming a liquid seal for the bottoni ot' said down-pipe and means .l'or delivering liquid to said plate fronra higher plate onto a zone not covered by such a bell, so that it a gas or vapor is forced into the bottoni of said tube and liquid is allowed to liow in at the top, liquid which flows onto said plate can only reach said down-pipe by flowing through the ring defined by the bubbles ot' gas or vapor escaping :troni said bell.

the emission of gas or Vapor about the` thereof, down-pipes opening through the tops ot' such bells, and means for causing ar liquid seal to form for such ipes and for directing liquid which flows own through any such pipe onto a lower plate at, a zone not covered by a bell, whereby if a gas or vapor is-forced in under pressure at, the bottoni of the tube and a liquid is allowed to How in at the top, liquid in order to flow troni one of such plates to a lower plate must pass through the ring defined by the bubbles escaping from the periphery et' a bell on such plate.

ltlAJVll-lhllV D. MANN, Jia. lltltiitliil M. WEER. 

